Love Songs in Opera
Surprisingly, there hasn't been any thread on love songs or songs about love in opera, so I decided to create one.
Arguably the most passionate one in terms of dissonant harmony from the 18th century- (the aria "Quel ruscelletto" from Haydn's Endimione)
Arguably the most passionate one in terms of dissonant harmony from the 18th century- (the aria "Quel ruscelletto" from Haydn's Endimione)
| Quel ruscelletto Che l‘onde chiare Or or col mare Confonderà, Nel mormorio Del foco mio Colle sue sponde Parlando va. Quell‘augelletto Ch‘arde d‘amore, E serba al piede, Ma non al core La libertà, In sua favella Per la sua bella, Che ancor non riede, Piangendo sta. | This little brook, whose limpid waves shall soon be mingled with the sea, converses with its banks, murmuring about my fire. This little bird, burning with love, whose feet know freedom, but not its heart, weeps and laments in its song for the beautiful lover who has not returned. |
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Everyone from that period has that kind of formality, don't they?It has a very "Enlightenment" formality, like much of Haydn.
It is a serenata, like Mozart's Il rè pastore K.208 (which is contemporaneous to the Haydn). tell me, friend, what do his operas need, to be "effective theatre" as you say?It feels more like oratorio than opera, and I'd never guess what it was about from the music. I've always wondered whether Haydn's operas are effective theater.
"Haydn’s music has a thorough competence of technique as well a real sense of theatre (in the broadest sense) that is reflected in Mozart’s music." -Wyn Jones (theresia.blog/2019/03/)
| "Welch ein Larmen hore ich!" | "Sind die, o Amor, Deine" |
Not really. Not quite. Not always.Everyone from that period has that kind of formality, don't they?
It is a serenata, like Mozart's Il rè pastore K.208 (which is contemporaneous to the Haydn). tell me, friend, what do his operas need, to be "effective theatre" as you say?
"Haydn’s music has a thorough competence of technique as well a real sense of theatre (in the broadest sense) that is reflected in Mozart’s music." -Wyn Jones
Yes. Something I wrote about an early singspiel by Haydn— off the beaten path operas. I can actually feel from the music; Natur is the "Sarastro figure" to Mentor, for example, it's really vivid in my mind; how Haydn paints his theatrical landscape:Do the operas feel dramatic? Do they move? Do they have vivid characters? Does the music feel like it characterizes distinct people in dynamic situations? Is there natural-sounding, energetic dialogue or ensemble work?
| Mentor: Ein Menschenkopf! – Ein Hals von einem Pferdekopf? – Ein weibliches Gesicht? – Ein färbigtes Gefieder? – Ein Fisch? – Ein bunter Schmuck? – Ein dicker Vogelkropf? – Hum, hum! – Und noch darzu zerschiedner Tiere Glieder? – | Mentor: A human head? – A neck from a horse’s head? – A female face? – A colored coat of feathers? – A fish? – A resplendent ornament? – A bird’s thick crop? – Hum. Hum! – And to top things off creatures cut up? – |
| Natur: Er schläft. Der Kleinmut dringt auf seine edle Seel’ und macht ihn schwach: Allein der Sturm schlägt selber fehl; er wird den Mentor nicht vom guten Wege bringen. - - Gemälde, zeige dich! – und folge der Natur! (Das ausgestrichne Bild verändert sich in ein neues.) Zeig mir den Dichter Orpheus! – Wie lebhaft schlägt er nicht! Wer sieht nicht meine Spur? – Das Bild ist gut. – Auch dieses Blatt wird nach Horazens Kunst den Steuermann entwerfen. (Sie legt das überschriebene Notenpapier auf das Pult des Mentors.) Es wird in der Tat dies zeigen, was Natur und Musik kann. Ich will den Steuermann dem Mentor selbsten singen. | Nature: He’s sleeping. Faintheartedness weighs down his noble soul and makes him weak: But the storm itself misses the mark; it won’t lead Mentor from the good path. - - Painting, show yourself! – and follow Nature! (The picture that has been crossed out changes into a new one.) Show me the poet Orpheus! – How vividly he indeed does play! Who doesn’t see traces of me? – This picture is good. – This page too will depict the steersman after Horace’s art. (She places the score paper that has been written over on Mentor’s desk.) It indeed will show this: what Nature and music can do. I myself will sing »The Steersman« to Mentor. |
Second act aria from Mozart's Il Re Pastore.
Anna Moffo - Aminta
Philharmonia Orchestra & Alceo Galliera.
Recorded in 1959.
L'amerò, sarò costante;
Fido sposo e fido amante
Sol per lei sospirerò.
In sì caro e dolce oggetto
La mia gioia, il mio diletto,
La mia pace io troverò.
I shall love her, I shall be faithful,
A loyal husband and constant lover.
I shall only sigh for her.
In such a dear and sweet object,
I shall find my joy,
my delight, and my peace.
Anna Moffo - Aminta
Philharmonia Orchestra & Alceo Galliera.
Recorded in 1959.
Fido sposo e fido amante
Sol per lei sospirerò.
In sì caro e dolce oggetto
La mia gioia, il mio diletto,
La mia pace io troverò.
I shall love her, I shall be faithful,
A loyal husband and constant lover.
I shall only sigh for her.
In such a dear and sweet object,
I shall find my joy,
my delight, and my peace.
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor.
National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Oliviero de Fabritiis.
Synopsis: Fedora has found out that Count Loris killed her fiance and swears to avenge his death. As the first step in her plan to capture Loris, she goes to Paris and attempts to get him to fall in love with her. Later, they are at a party at Fedora's house and he tells her that he truly loves her.
Amor ti vieta di non amar.......... Love itself bars you from not loving...
La man tua lieve che mi respinge, Your light hand that repels me,
cerca la stretta della mia man: still looks for the stroke of my hand:
la tua pupilla esprime: "T'amo" your eyes exclaim: "I love you"
se il labbro dice: "Non t'amerò!" even when your lips say: "I will not love you!"
National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Oliviero de Fabritiis.
Synopsis: Fedora has found out that Count Loris killed her fiance and swears to avenge his death. As the first step in her plan to capture Loris, she goes to Paris and attempts to get him to fall in love with her. Later, they are at a party at Fedora's house and he tells her that he truly loves her.
Amor ti vieta di non amar.......... Love itself bars you from not loving...
La man tua lieve che mi respinge, Your light hand that repels me,
cerca la stretta della mia man: still looks for the stroke of my hand:
la tua pupilla esprime: "T'amo" your eyes exclaim: "I love you"
se il labbro dice: "Non t'amerò!" even when your lips say: "I will not love you!"
This actually caused me some embarassment in the past. Yes, he tells her briefly in the duet that he loves her, but that is not the aria. She responds something sarcastic, if she is obligated to love him in return. And he responds: "well sweetie, according to your body language, you already do". And that is the aria.Later, they are at a party at Fedora's house and he tells her that he truly loves her.
Che gelida manina Role: Rodolfo Act: I Ópera: Boheme (1896) Composer: G. Puccini Tenor: Luciano Pavarotti (Italia) 1973 Berliner Philharmoniker Orchester Conducted: Hebert von Karajan Studio Recording, Berlin.
RODOLFO
Che gelida manina!
Se la lasci riscaldar.
Cercar che giova? Al buio non si trova.
Ma per fortuna è una notte di luna,
e qui la luna l'abbiamo vicina.
Aspetti, signorina,
le dirò con due parole
chi son, che faccio e come vivo. Vuole?
Mimì tace: Rodolfo lascia la mano di Mimì, la quale indietreggiando trova una sedia sulla quale si lascia quasi cadere affranta dall'emozione.
Chi son? Sono un poeta.
Che cosa faccio? Scrivo.
E come vivo? Vivo.
In povertà mia lieta
scialo da gran signore
rime ed inni d'amore.
Per sogni, per chimere
e per castelli in aria
l'anima ho milionaria.
Talor dal mio forziere
ruban tutti i gioielli
due ladri: gli occhi belli.
V'entrar con voi pur ora
ed i miei sogni usati
e i bei sogni miei
tosto son dileguati.
Ma il furto non m'accora,
poiché vi ha preso stanza
la dolce speranza!
Or che mi conoscete,
parlate voi. Chi siete?
Via piaccia dir?
English Libretto or Translation:
RODOLFO
How cold your little hand is!
Let me warm it for you.
What's the use of searching?
We'll never find it in the dark.
But luckily
there's a moon,
and she's our neighbour here.
Just wait, my dear young lady,
and meanwhile I'll tell you
in a word
who and what I am.
Shall I?
Mimì is silent
Who am I? I'm a poet.
My business? Writing.
How do I live? I live.
In my happy poverty
I squander like a prince
my poems and songs of love.
In hopes and dreams
and castles?in?air,
I'm a millionaire in spirit.
But sometimes my strong?box
is robbed of all its jewels
by two thieves: a pair of pretty eyes.
They came in now with you
and all my lovely dreams,
my dreams of the past,
were soon stolen away.
But the theft doesn't upset me,
since the empty place was filled
with hope.
Now that you know me,
it's your turn to speak.
Who are you? Will you tell me?
RODOLFO
Che gelida manina!
Se la lasci riscaldar.
Cercar che giova? Al buio non si trova.
Ma per fortuna è una notte di luna,
e qui la luna l'abbiamo vicina.
Aspetti, signorina,
le dirò con due parole
chi son, che faccio e come vivo. Vuole?
Mimì tace: Rodolfo lascia la mano di Mimì, la quale indietreggiando trova una sedia sulla quale si lascia quasi cadere affranta dall'emozione.
Chi son? Sono un poeta.
Che cosa faccio? Scrivo.
E come vivo? Vivo.
In povertà mia lieta
scialo da gran signore
rime ed inni d'amore.
Per sogni, per chimere
e per castelli in aria
l'anima ho milionaria.
Talor dal mio forziere
ruban tutti i gioielli
due ladri: gli occhi belli.
V'entrar con voi pur ora
ed i miei sogni usati
e i bei sogni miei
tosto son dileguati.
Ma il furto non m'accora,
poiché vi ha preso stanza
la dolce speranza!
Or che mi conoscete,
parlate voi. Chi siete?
Via piaccia dir?
English Libretto or Translation:
RODOLFO
How cold your little hand is!
Let me warm it for you.
What's the use of searching?
We'll never find it in the dark.
But luckily
there's a moon,
and she's our neighbour here.
Just wait, my dear young lady,
and meanwhile I'll tell you
in a word
who and what I am.
Shall I?
Mimì is silent
Who am I? I'm a poet.
My business? Writing.
How do I live? I live.
In my happy poverty
I squander like a prince
my poems and songs of love.
In hopes and dreams
and castles?in?air,
I'm a millionaire in spirit.
But sometimes my strong?box
is robbed of all its jewels
by two thieves: a pair of pretty eyes.
They came in now with you
and all my lovely dreams,
my dreams of the past,
were soon stolen away.
But the theft doesn't upset me,
since the empty place was filled
with hope.
Now that you know me,
it's your turn to speak.
Who are you? Will you tell me?
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
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